Bacteria in Mouth Help Make Certain Foods Tasty!!!

[Abbas Bubakar El-ta'alu]

          Not only that majority of bacteria cause infections, it is a fact, that the microflora in the human body serve the function of also protecting the body from external infections and lessens the effect of gastric acid on our bowels. These micro-organisms also take part in absorbtion of vitamins and mineral salts from food. These are not the only functions. It was found out that microflora supplies up to 30 % of energy needed by the organism for metabolism. That is why it is necessary to take good care of it. The most part of microflora is found in the man's bowels, though it is also present on the skin, in the stomach and in the nasopharynx.
          I want us to pay a special attention to the report made by scientists in Switzerland, that bacteria in the human buccal cavity (mouth) play a role in creating the distinctive flavours of certain foods. They found that these bacteria actually produce food odours from odourless components of food, allowing people to fully savor fruits and vegetables. In the study, one, Christian Starkenmann and colleagues point out that some fruits and vegetables release characteristic odours only after being swallowed. While scientists have previously reported that volatile compounds produced from precursors found in these foods are responsible for this 'retroaromatic' effect, the details of this transformation were not understood. The scientists performed sensory tests on 30 trained panelists to evaluate the odor intensity of volatile compounds – known as thiols – that are released from odourless sulfur compounds found naturally in grapes, onions, and bell peppers.
          When given samples of the odorless compounds, it took participants 20 to 30 seconds to perceive the aroma of the thiols – and this perception persisted for three minutes. The researchers also determined that the odourless compounds are transformed into the thiols by anaerobic bacteria residing in the mouth – causing the characteristic 'retroaromatic' effect.
"The mouth acts as a reactor, adding another dimension to odor perceptions," they explain. However, the authors conclude, it is saliva's ability to trap these free thiols that helps modulate the long-lasting flavours.